As a lover of books, I have always been intrigued with writing. Whether it be handwritten notes, mushy poems, or grocery lists, writing things down gives me a sense of joy or temporary purpose. However, regarding academic writing I have struggled to find my voice or confident writing style, which I was determined to learn this semester.

This was my first year back in an academic setting after a five-year “break” which came with its own challenges and personal barriers, such as feeling behind. My first turning point with this was while discussing rhetorical situations and the factors that shape the effectiveness of communication. I learned that through analyzing the relationship between myself as a writer and my audience can strengthen my writers stance for the purpose of academic writing.

Another objective that helped build my confidence would be the draft and revision process used during course projects, specifically peer discussions. During each project over the semester, I would initially stress over the amount of reading and reflection required. This caused me to overachieve on discussion assignments, where I would end up writing 2-3 pages to review. However, reflecting and revising drafts based on peer and instructor feedback and providing peer reviews played a key role in eliminating stress and self-doubt.

By the end of this course, I was able to succeed in completing all three final drafts that effectively integrated electronic and print sources found by researching my topic choice. The most beneficial tool provided was an article discussing how to use the library database. Many sources used within these projects were found within the library database, which I suggest that all students should utilize for academic research.

The second turning point I experienced in this course was during Project 2: Proposal Argument. An interesting topic covered by the readings from this project were myths regarding arguments. One being that arguments are about winning, which many people believe. According to this article, focusing on winning can have the opposite effect on your audience, which was helpful in eliminating personal bias within my essay. This project also provided key methods to developing an argumentative outline with Toulmin’s Method of Argument.

The project I enjoyed the most would be Project 3: Visual Argument, which was the final turning point for me this semester. Creating a visual argument was new territory for me, and as you may have guessed, created a sense of enteral panic once again. However, with the techniques I learned about effective communication, the outline process for Toulmin’s Method of Argument, and thinking visually I was able to turn in this project with complete confidence in my writing abilities.

The writing process I began this semester with was scattered ideas on a page, random resource information, and hand-written outlines organized by chaos. Now, I’ve not only built confidence in my writing, but am also able to organize each draft, revision and reflection of the writing projects completed this semester on an online webpage. While this was not something I expected to learn during this course, I am grateful for the skills, tools, and mindset I’ve gained at each stage of the writing process this semester.

The objectives of this course were successfully completed in my learning experience, and I strongly believe that I can apply these objectives in my future. Whether it be personally, academically, or professionally I feel confident in discussing socially relevant topics of different genres. I now have the tools to find reliable evidence through database resources and organization skills to save sources through google drive. As well as knowledge of how to create e-portfolios such as this, which can be informative tools for topics like rising vape statistics in teens across the U.S…